Remember this date: June 24, 2022.
This is the day that the United States Supreme Court made the historic decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Finally, after 49 years of prayer from millions of people, and the unceasing work of the pro-life movement, the court voted to strike down one of the most horrific and egregious rulings in the history of our nation.
In so doing, the high court upheld a Mississippi law banning abortion after 15 weeks (Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization), and then went on to overturn the infamous 1973 Roe v. Wade decision.
With the decisiveness of three conservative justices appointed during the Trump administration, the court stated that there is no constitutional right to an abortion, as it previously ruled in 1973 when it illegitimately cited the 14th Amendment’s “right to privacy.”
“The Constitution makes no reference to abortion, and no such right is implicitly protected by any constitutional provision,” said Justice Samuel Alito in writing the majority opinion.
I thank God for answering the prayers of godly women and men who for almost five decades refused to give up on overturning Roe v. Wade, and remained steadfast in their conviction that life conceived in the womb is sacred and made in the image of God (see Jeremiah 1:5).
More than 63 million children were murdered by abortion factories during the half century since Roe v. Wade, and it is my prayer that millions of children will now have the opportunity to experience the precious life that God gives them.
President Trump, who appointed justices Brett Kavanaugh, Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett—all of whom ruled with the majority—said following the ruling, “God made the decision.”
My friend, Vice President Mike Pence, said just hours after the decision: “Today, Life won. By overturning Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court of the United States has given the American people a new beginning for life, and I commend the justices in the majority for having the courage of their convictions.”
But make no mistake, the battle is far from over.
The justices’ historic ruling now means that the issue will go back to the states where legislatures will decide what restrictions—or lack thereof—will be enforced.
Following the June 24 decision, 13 states were ready to immediately implement “trigger laws” that would limit or restrict abortion. Another dozen or so conservative states are expected to follow in the coming months with strict restrictions on abortion. However, there will also be states like Colorado whose laws allow abortion to proceed all the way up to birth.
Presidents Biden and Obama both made statements condemning the decision. Companies like Hewlett-Packard, Apple, Starbucks, Disney, Tesla, Levi Strauss and many others have already said they will pay the expenses of employees who want an abortion to travel to states that offer the procedure. That is sick.
We must know the heart of the abortion issue isn’t political or legal—it’s spiritual. It’s a rejection of God’s law and principles as revealed in Scripture, and a rebellion against His authority over all of life. The pro-abortion movement has been nothing but an anti-God campaign.
The Bible says, “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. … My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret. … Your eyes saw my unformed substance” (Psalm 139:13-16, ESV).
That is why the fight against abortion has been fought on the battlefield of prayer. It is a war waged in the heavenly places, asking the Lord for His supernatural, sovereign help to save innocent lives in the womb.
We live in a culture where same-sex marriage is encouraged and celebrated. Where gays, lesbians and transgenders are presented as the norm, even going so far as to try and indoctrinate children in elementary school.
These are all lifestyles that flout the truth of Scripture, and are supported by a godless worldview that seeks to create its own twisted version of right and wrong.
When the White House is lit up in the colors of gay pride, and the LGBTQ flag is placed prominently on corporate websites, then you know we are a nation sinking ever deeper into depravity.
Our only hope is God. Our only path is repentance from our evil ways, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and obedience to His promises.
We have lost our way spiritually, and those who promote sinful and degrading behavior have captured the voice of the vast majority of the media, educational institutions and too many of our representatives in Washington.
Years ago, I traveled to Ethiopia to meet with Mulatu Bafa, a leader of the Kale Heywet Church. He had been persecuted by the Marxist regime and was quite old. I asked him what he could still do, and I will never forget his response. “Franklin,” he said, “I still have my voice.”
Well, I still have my voice, and I intend to use it.
I will continue to support wholeheartedly the pro-life cause. I want to see abortion eliminated from every state, not just some. Abortion is a genocide of the unborn. It is sin.
I will continue to call on Christians to go to the polls and vote for candidates who adhere to Biblical morality and are 100% pro-life. The progressive left is calling for a huge turnout in November to elect pro-abortion candidates. Well, I have some news for them—I believe there are many more godly people who will be voting for every pro-life candidate in the fall. They will make their voices heard loud and clear.
I am also grateful for Christian pregnancy care centers across America that have been stalwarts against abortion. They minister to women considering abortion and help them in so many ways. They seek to protect life, not destroy it.
Above all, I will preach the saving Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to as many as I can for as long I can. I will speak of the cross of the Savior who bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might be forgiven of our sins, live a holy life and spend eternity with the Lord.
For women who have had an abortion and live under a cloud of guilt, I want them to know that God loves them and forgives them when they come to Him in humble confession. Our God can restore and heal any brokenness.
I was asked by a reporter just hours after the court’s ruling if I believed I would ever see the day when Roe v. Wade was overturned. I said, yes, because I believe it is the right thing.
That’s what the Supreme Court did on June 24. They did the right thing.
Photo: David K. Morrison/©2020 BGEA